


Temporal Theory

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Awesome Leia Organa, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, Crack Relationships, Episode: s04e13 A World Between Worlds, Ezra Bridger Needs a Hug, Ezra Bridger is a Blueberry, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, It's a Possibly, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug, Minor Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Episode: s04e13 A World Between Worlds, Space Dad Kanan Jarrus, Space family, Time Travel, Young Ben Solo, but later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16678165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After causing a paradox in the World Between Worlds, a Force realm existing outside of spacetime, Ezra Bridger and Ahsoka Tano, along with Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, a teenaged Ben Solo and his friend Jacen, Kanan Jarrus, and Rey are sent back in time to a year prior to the fall of the Republic.They don’t know what their mission is or if they have one at all. Desperate to not repeat mistakes of the past, the ragtag band of time-travelers meet up with a younger, heroic Anakin Skywalker. They know better than to tell the Jedi council. With the help of his most trusted friends, everyone involved finds themselves forced to confront their fate. Whether that involves interacting with your annoying teenage self, or dealing with your overzealous grandson from the future, it's a challenge they all must face before they can go home.





	1. The Apprentice

**AHSOKA TANO:**

 

Ahsoka was still trying to wrap her mind around what had happened.

One moment, she’d been fighting Ana—no, Darth Vader—and the next she found herself in an infinite void that seemed to operate outside of space time.

The Ezra who’d saved her from death was completely unlike the Ezra she had heard crying out in fear mere moments ago—from her perspective, at least. This Ezra was taller, more deliberate, and he lacked the berry-blue moppy hair that the Ghost crew had grown so fond of. 

She was still so shaken by, you know, literal time travel, that she hadn’t truly processed what he’d told her. Kanan’s death should’ve hit her like a landslide, and yet she felt too numb to feel anything at all. Two years had passed from Ezra’s perspective, and she was thought to be dead after her encounter with Vader. 

It was too much for her to process. It was peculiar that Morai of all creatures was here, in this strange place with strange voices. Though she recognized some of the speakers, the rest of them were completely alien to her. 

And now she was running, sprinting after Ezra Bridger, who seemed so hardened compared to their last encounter. She shuddered to think of what he’d gone through between then and his version of now. 

Ezra skidded to a halt in front of a portal brimmed with ethereal starshine. “One of these portals must lead to Kanan.”

Ahsoka’s heart shattered in sympathy for the young Jedi, but she knew that she couldn’t allow this. “Ezra,” she warned, “Think about what you are doing.”

“I know what I’m doing!” he insisted. “Here in this place I can change … I can stop people from dying.” With that, he began to approach the portal in front of them.

“You don’t know that!” Ahsoka wished that there was a way to bring Kanan back, she truly did, but time was not something one wanted to mess with. Even saving her had been a mistake.

Ezra turned around, his eyes glittering like lapis lazulis. “Yes, I do. If I can change your fate, I can change his.” He sounded so confident, so hopeful.

Ahsoka chewed on her lip as they approached the portal. To her amazement, it began to glow with a fiery sort of energy, until she could make out the silhouette of who had to be Kanan. He was holding back a massive explosion. 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. She’d seen Anakin in a similar situation before, but it had been a much smaller explosion that he survived. This much command over something so powerful and yet so intangible … she could barely fathom it.

“I can reach him,” Ezra said, determined.

“Ezra, Kanan gave his life so you could live. If he’s taken out of this moment, you all die.”

Ezra turned around, and Ahsoka saw that he was crying. “You don’t understand what you’re asking me to do.” His grief and anger churned the Force around him like a tornado. 

“Yes, I do,” Ahsoka said. Even as she spoke those words, she knew how empty they must sound. “You can’t save your master, and I can’t save mine.” Her eyes watered, clouding her vision. “I’m asking you to let go.” 

Ezra let out a small sob as he watched Kanan struggle to hold the explosion back. Ahsoka knew full well how much pain the boy was in. That man had been like a father to him. It was no wonder he couldn’t think logically. 

So she wasn’t surprised when Ezra thrust his arms into the portal and telekinetically pulled Kanan in their direction. She cried out in protest and grabbed his shoulder, but he shrugged her off. Kanan’s face changed from stoic acceptance to panic as he was swept off his feet and dragged aside. The moment he was pulled through the portal, the explosion engulfed the Imperial ship and everyone inside.

Kanan looked from Ezra to Ahsoka in bafflement. He opened his mouth to say something—Ahsoka couldn’t be sure what, exactly—then everything around her vanished.

 

She was floating. It was completely dark save for the faint glimmering of distant stars and suns. Ezra and Kanan were nowhere to be found. She didn’t see any portals, nor did she even see any walkways. It was just … complete nothingness.

Of course messing with the timeline would have disastrous consequences. But why would she be affected by Ezra’s actions? She hadn’t been on the Ghost during the explosion. 

Minutes or centuries later, her feet touched solid ground. Unprepared for her landing, Ahsoka stumbled and fell backwards. It was then she heard a yell, and several murmurs of confusion. She looked up.

To her astonishment, there was a young woman, barely out of her teens, in ragged clothes, with dark hair and eyes. Ahsoka was taken aback by her Force presence; it was almost overwhelming. If the average Jedi was a ripple, she was a tsunami. Powerful, but for the most part unrefined.

Ahsoka looked around wildly. She saw a young man and woman, both immensely powerful as well. There were two unknown teenage boys, and Ezra himself, completely unchanged. Everyone here was Force sensitive. 

“What the hell…?” the man muttered, rubbing his golden hair. 

The brunette woman beside him was much quicker to react, immediately on her feet, pointing an E-11 blaster in random directions. She yelled various expletives.

The black-haired boy’s eyes widened as he noticed the pair. “Luke? Leia?”

The woman, Leia, scowled. “How do you know our names?”

The boy ignored her questions as he stared at them, his jaw agape. “You guys look so much younger.” 

Ahsoka watched as the other woman covered her mouth. “Oh my God. Luke Skywalker? And—!” She cut herself off with a gasp. “No.”

Ezra crawled over to Ahsoka, his face contorted with self-hatred and guilt. “I did this, didn’t I?”

Ahsoka didn’t answer, because he had done this. Empty reassurances were pointless. So she got to her feet and avoided his question. “Um, my name’s Ahsoka Tano,” she said awkwardly, cringing as all of their hostile gazes locked onto her. “What the hell is this?”

“You tell me.” Leia eyed the Togruta warily. “Last I recall I was on Endor, cleaning up the mess that the Imperials left behind.”

“You’re a rebel?” Ahsoka breathed. “I was part of the Alliance myself, as a Fulcrum agent.”

Leia crossed her arms. “I haven’t seen you before.”

Ahsoka ignored this. “I wasn’t aware of any Imperial operations on Endor,” she said, suspicious. Beside her, Ezra nodded in agreement.

“How could you not be? As far as I know all of our troops have been deployed there for nearly a week.” 

Suddenly, a frightening thought occurred to her. “What year is it?”

Leia looked at her as if she’d gone crazy. “4 ABY,” she replied.

Ahsoka and Ezra exchanged worried looks. “Well, to me it’s 16 AFE.” He nodded his assent, though this technically wasn’t true for him. “I’ve never heard of that timekeeping unit.”

“Wait, wait,” the boy exclaimed. “You’re telling me it’s not 20 ABY?”

The younger woman’s eyes narrowed. “You mean 34 ABY?”

Before Ahsoka could speak, Leia peered at Ezra. “You wouldn’t happen to be the boy I met on Lothal?”

Ezra shrugged sheepishly, rubbing his forehead. “Yeah…”

She muttered something inaudible under her breath. Everyone stood in bewildered silence, staring at one another. 

“Erm,” Ezra mumbled. “Uh, I’m Ezra Bridger.”

The other boy nodded. “I’m Ben.” 

The unknown young man stared in amazement at the two of them. His distinctive green hair and elven ears caught Ahsoka’s gaze immediately. “Ben! How are you here?”

“Jacen!” Ben exclaimed, delighted. “It’s good that there’s someone I actually know.” Jacen nodded, worried and relieved at the same time.

The woman flinched away from Ben as she took in his features, and Ahsoka felt her aura spike with sudden fear. “I-I’m Rey.”

“And Ezra!” Jacen grinned. “Oh, wow, I never did get to meet you.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ezra frowned, raising an eyebrow.

Luke coughed awkwardly to redirect the conversation. “This is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’m Luke. Luke Skywalker.”

Ahsoka let out a strangled noise, as if she were being Force-choked. “Skywalker?”

“What’s it to you?” Luke said defensively, bristling.

Ahsoka hesitated. Anakin had once told her that Skywalker is a fairly common surname on Tatooine, so maybe there was no connection at all between him and this young man. And yet … Luke was oozing with Force potential in the exact way that her master once had.

“Would you happen to know of Anakin Skywalker?” she inquired.

Luke’s eyes grew misty. “Yes. I’m his son.”

Before Ahsoka could even process this bombshell, Leia stepped protectively in front of Luke. Her blaster was pointed to the ground, but that barely mattered because she was still prepared to kill Ahsoka on a moment’s notice. “Why?” she asked, her voice sharp like a vibro-blade.

Ahsoka’s lips parted as she sensed shock slam through Ezra like a violent current. He had the decency not to respond, however. “That can’t be,” she murmured, mostly to herself.

Agitated, Luke tugged at a tear on his black suit, revealing a white undershirt. “Did you know him?”

She closed her eyes, but that wasn’t enough to stop the barrage of memories that now assaulted her. Before she could respond, however, Ezra inhaled sharply and tapped her shoulder. Her gaze drifted in the direction he was pointing, and she made out an unmoving figure. Though his clothes were charred, and his skin looked as if it had been blasted with ash, there was no way in hell Ahsoka wouldn’t recognize Kanan Jarrus.

Jacen grabbed Ben’s arm and whispered something urgent, his aquamarine eyes practically bulging. Ben stiffened.

Ezra ran over to his master and knelt beside him. His lower lip trembled as he checked Kanan’s pulse, before silent tears began to travel down his face and redden his cheeks. At first Ahsoka took this to mean that Kanan wasn’t breathing, but then Ezra croaked, “He’s alive.” He began to cry even harder, likely out of relief.

What did Kanan do to his hair? Ahsoka wondered, taking in the sight of him. It’s hideous. She immediately scolded herself for thinking that of all things, given the situation at hand. 

Ezra lifted Kanan telekinetically as the others watched silently. He moved him a couple of feet closer to the main group before setting him down.

“Who is that?” Rey demanded. Her hand went to her hilt, but she wasn’t carrying a lightsaber. 

Jacen trembled. Ahsoka wondered why he felt so bothered over this. He was too young to have even known Kanan.

Ezra didn’t answer. He just sat in silence at Kanan’s side. 

It was then a portal formed in front of them. It swirled in a dizzyingly luminous array of color and light. Ben let out a surprised yell and backed away. Luke grabbed Leia’s forearm. 

Ahsoka peered through the portal, gasping as the undefined features came into focus. “The Jedi Temple.”

Ezra glanced at her. “Which one?” 

“The Jedi Temple.” She shivered. “Or the bedroom of one, at any rate. This is where I grew up.” And where so many of us were slaughtered…

Luke sputtered something along the lines of, “That’s impossible,” while Rey just stared in awe. 

Ezra tilted his head. “I think we’re supposed to go through it.”

“Through it!” Leia exclaimed. “Are you crazy?”

“Has anyone ever said ‘yes’ to that question?” 

Luke bit his lip. “Honestly, I don’t think we have a choice. The Force is overwhelmingly potent in this place. We need to serve its will.” With that, he tentatively approached the portal and held out his hand. Leia tried to slap it away, but he said, “It’s my bionic hand,” and she reluctantly allowed him to reach through the portal. Ben watched in horror as he tentatively stepped through once he was sure that his hand hadn’t been horribly mutilated, before emerging on the other side. His form, though blurred, turned around and beckoned for them to follow. “I think it’s safe,” he announced.

Leia rolled her eyes and followed. Ben cringed away from the portal, but Ezra nudged him supportively, and they went through. Jacen hesitated, then followed suit. Rey dove in without even questioning it. Ahsoka carried Kanan over her shoulder, scrunching up her nose at the acrid scent wafting off of him. She stepped through, glad to be doing it on her own terms this time.

She emerged on the other side, and took a moment to observe her surroundings. It was a small room, empty save for a small bed and a desk. On the desk were several holo-displays, a few of which were currently active. Ahsoka walked over to the latter object. There were no identifiable personal objects here, but that was the case with most Jedi quarters. 

She set Kanan down on the bed, rubbing her aching shoulder. 

“So what now?” Ben said awkwardly, looking around. “What year is it here?”

“1 BFE,” Ahsoka replied, absorbing this information by skimming through the holographic text. She realized it was a war report. Troop movements, clone reports, and a list of Jedi casualties. A Diathim Jedi was being projected as she listed intercepted Separatist plans of attack.

It was then that Leia’s eyes widened with comprehension. “Oh, that’s the old Imperial calendar. So that would be 20 BBY. And I think we’re in the Imperial Palace.”

“No, it’s the old Jedi Temple,” Rey murmured. “Like from legends.” 

Before anyone could say anything else, Kanan began to stir, his leg bending and a groan sounding from deep within his throat. Ezra rushed over to Kanan’s bedside as the Jedi whispered, “What…?”

“Shh,” Ezra soothed, his mannerisms gentle and delicate. “Just rest.” Jacen just stared, backing away as if nervous.

In typical Kanan fashion, Kanan didn’t listen. He rubbed soot off his forehead with the back of his gloved hand, before gaping at his surroundings. “How the hell and why the hell did we get a suite in the Imperial Palace?”

“It’s the Jedi Temple,” Ben corrected him. 

Ahsoka winced. “Kanan, you know how Ezra pulled you through the portal?”

Kanan shot a hard look at Ezra. “So that’s what happened,” he said, his voice grave. “I was wondering.”

“I wanted to save you!” Ezra defended himself. The others watched, bewildered and without context. “I-I need you, Kanan.”

“I was saving us!” Kanan shouted, then he broke down in coughs. “You pulled me out of there and I saw the explosion kill you all.”

“I was there,” Ezra reminded him. “And I don’t exactly feel any deader than usual. Not that that’s saying much, but—“

Ahsoka did a double take. She sat down on the hard mattress as realization washed over her. “That’s it,” she breathed. “Ezra created a paradox in the World Between Worlds, and it’s jumbling up time itself.”

“Is that even possible?” Luke said, his eyebrows raised. “And can you please fill the rest of us in?”

She took a deep breath. “Ezra got into the World Between Worlds. The entrance is located on the planet Lothal. He saved me from Darth Vader, which from his perspective happened two whole years prior. Then he saved Kanan. The problem is that this would kill everyone Kanan was saving, including Ezra himself. But if Ezra wasn’t around to pull Kanan out, Kanan could complete his sacrifice, thus saving Ezra and allowing Ezra to save him. Repeat an infinite number of times, and it’s a paradox.” She shrugged. “That probably kriffed up spacetime.”

Ben blinked, bafflement written all over his visage. “Huh.” 

“Isn’t it a good thing that he’s saved?” Jacen chimed in, to no one in particular.

Ezra wept silently into his hand. “This is all my fault. I just want … I just needed you back.”

Kanan was silent. Ahsoka knew that he wanted to comfort Ezra, but he was also angered by his rashness. Jacen’s lower lip trembled; he looked to be near tears. Ezra looked up and asked him what was wrong, but he just shook his head.

He never got a chance to respond, because then everyone in the room stiffened. If she’d had hair on the back of her neck, it would be standing erect right now. Sweat broke out on her forehead.

Ezra looked up at Ahsoka. “Do you sense that?” 

She nodded, as did Kanan. “It can’t be good.”

“When is it ever?” he muttered.

A moment later, she inhaled sharply as the sound of distant footsteps sounded in her head. Togrutas had much stronger senses than humans did, but it didn’t take long for the others to notice, and soon everyone in the room was completely still, waiting with baited breath.

A familiar beep sounded outside the room, and the door slid open. Ahsoka covered her mouth in shock as she recognized Anakin Skywalker. 

He looked exactly like she remembered: tall, with broad shoulders, tousled hair of a dirty blond color, and that look of determination in his eyes she’d tried to evoke in herself as a Padawan learner.

She expected him to activate his lightsaber. Ahsoka stepped in front of the others protectively. She felt Luke’s gaze over her shoulder. He was studying everything he could see of Anakin. She didn’t blame him.

Oh yeah. Her master had a kid. A kid! She’d almost forgotten. 

Anakin’s lips curled into a frown, but he didn’t draw his weapon. He hit a button on the wall and stepped inside. The door slid closed automatically behind him. 

“Who are you? And why are you in my room?” he growled, frightening Ahsoka as his voice forced to relive Malachor. She blinked away the traumatic memories. 

Ahsoka held up her hands in a surrendering gesture. She had to deescalate this, and fast. “I know you’re not going to believe this, but we were taken here by a portal. We’re all from different times.” 

Anakin blinked. “I felt a strange ripple in the Force; that’s why I came here. Surely it can’t be that strange. Why should I believe you?”

“Anakin. It’s me!” she exclaimed, desperate. “It’s Ahsoka Tano.”

His mouth opened and closed in the span of a millisecond. She sensed him reaching out tentatively in the Force, observing her presence. He reeled back abruptly, astonished by its familiarity. A master knew his Padawan’s aura as well as his own. “Ahsoka? Is that really you?”

“Yes,” she said, breaking out in relieved and nervous laughter. “It’s me.” She pushed aside her fear and misgivings, because suddenly this wasn’t Vader; it was Anakin, her master. Her compassionate, caring, fearless master. 

She threw herself into his arms, near tears, because she hadn’t seen him in nearly two decades. She swallowed a childish giggle as she realized that she was taller than him now, even without her montrals. 

He stiffened hesitantly, before relaxing and patting her back. She let go of him, ignoring the baffled gazes of her companions. 

“Ahsoka, you’re all grown up,” he said in amazement. “You—you’re, what? Twenty something?”

“Thirty something,” she corrected with a light laugh. 

“And who are your friends?” Anakin asked, stepped to the side to get a better look. Leia’s eyes narrowed with distrust.

Ahsoka coughed, shooting a pointed look in their direction. “Introduce yourselves.” Civilly, she added as a silent plea.

Kanan stepped forward first. “My name is Kanan Jarrus, but at this point in time I was known as Caleb Dume. Right now I’d be a Padawan.”

Anakin scratched his head. “I think I’ve seen you around. Though I thought you were a youngling...”

As he spoke, Ahsoka realized that Anakin was studying Leia’s features with an intent gaze. She wondered for a moment why he found her so intriguing. Then it dawned on her; Leia looked almost identical to Padmé, though their personalities were quite different, judging by what she’d heard of the Princess during her time as Fulcrum.

Anakin didn’t comment on this, however. Ben stepped forward next with a look of awe on his face. “Are you really Anakin Skywalker?” Rey cringed at his words, though Ahsoka couldn’t tell why.

Anakin looked at the long-faced boy with amusement. “That I am.” He nodded. “What’s your name?”

“Ben Solo,” he responded, causing Leia to do a double take. 

“Did you say Solo?!” 

He looked at her hesitantly, then sighed, slouching his shoulders and staring at Leia’s feet. Ezra’s eyes glittered with faint amusement as he watched. “Um. Uh, I’m your son,” Ben told her, gulping.

Leia’s lips parted as she stared at Ben with bulging eyes. For perhaps the first time in her life, Leia was left completely speechless. 

“Hey, I know this is kind of crazy, but can we please hold off on the family reunions?” Anakin insisted, slightly irritated. “Also, mind filling me in on what the fucking hell this is?”

Luke studied his boots like they were the most fascinating thing in the galaxy. “Yeah. About that.” Anakin’s eyes narrowed. “I’m Luke … Skywalker.”

Leia buried her face in her hands.

Now Anakin was the one left reeling from shock. Ahsoka held her breath as she watched, desperately curious to see how he’d react.

“Hold on a second,” he exclaimed. “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”

Luke nodded, his face grave.

“And you’re not, like, a random third cousin twice removed?”

He shook his head, and Ahsoka felt waves of nervous energy radiate off of him.

Anakin blinked. “So. You’re me and Padmé’s—“

“Yeah.”

Leia winced, causing Ben to cross his arms. He looked rather annoyed at her brushing him off like that. But they had more pressing matters to deal with. 

Though Anakin’s face didn’t betray his feelings, Ahsoka knew, through the Force and otherwise, that he was experiencing a torrent of confusing emotions. Unlike his father, Luke’s emotions were completely visible; the man wore his heart on his sleeve.

Anakin and Luke stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Kanan crossed his arms, and eyed the other Jedi distrustfully as Anakin broke into uneasy laughter. Dismayed, Luke opened his mouth to say something, but his words were cut off by Anakin promptly glomping him. 

The others watched uneasily. Leia in particular seemed to be on edge. Ahsoka, on the other hand, was too overjoyed to let herself feel afraid.

Anakin let go of Luke, and stared at him in amazement. “Wow. You’re my—oh my God, you’re my son! You look like me, and obviously you’ve got the Force, right? Because you have the heart of a Jedi, I can tell that much just by looking at you, and you probably got that from your mother, ironically, but I’m just so happy and I—“

Luke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, and this woman, Leia, is my twin sister.”

Leia groaned, obviously dreading meeting Anakin.

He looked at her now. “You look so much like Padmé.”

“Thanks,” she responded icily. Anakin blinked, surprised at her coldness. He didn’t comment on this, however.

“Well,” he said, his voice radiating a warm sort of joy. “Maybe we can play catch up afterwards?” He crossed his arms. “How and why are you here?”

“He’s taking this surprisingly well,” Ezra whispered to Ben, causing the latter to snort-laugh. 

Kanan and Ahsoka exchanges uneasy glances. She wondered how he’d known to follow that social cue without his sight, but she didn’t dwell on it. “We … don’t know,” he replied, visibly frustrated. 

Luke’s face brightened. “Wasn’t there a Jedi Council? Maybe we should see if they know anything.”

“No!” Anakin yelled, before gathering himself. “Sorry for the outburst, but I’ve got trust issues with the council.” Ahsoka nodded, affirming her agreement. He stroked his chin. “I think you should meet Obi Wan Kenobi.”

Luke grinned. “Oh, he’s my favorite.” 

Anakin smiled down at Luke despite his obvious confusion at this. 

“What about Kanan and Ahsoka?” Ezra blurted out. When Anakin looked at him with surprise, he shrank slightly. “I mean, they’re at the temple now. Why don’t we tell them what’s happening.”

“No.” Kanan shook his head. “I was complete idiot at this point; impulsive and naive.”

“What about Ahsoka?” Anakin asked, turning to the older Ahsoka. “She—you’re like a little sister to me. I trust you with my life. And while I’m sure you’ve improved immensely since this time, the Ahsoka I know isn’t much of a slouch. I think she can handle this truth.” 

Ahsoka hesitated, then dipped her head in approval. Great.

“So now there’s going to be two of the Togruta?” Rey muttered. 

Ahsoka shot her a cold look. “At least you don’t have to deal with your obnoxious brat of a teenage self.”

Anakin patted her on the shoulder, grinning lopsidedly. “You’re not that bad.” His expression hardened. “Stay here, and try not to make any noise. I’ll talk to the other Ahsoka.”

With that, he turned around and exited his chambers, leaving the others to await their fate.


	2. The Good In Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your constructive feedback, everyone! I truly appreciate it, and I'm just glad that people are reviewing this at all. Y'all are the best.

**ANAKIN** **SKYWALKER** :

 

Anakin’s head was spinning. After all, it wasn’t every day that one was visited by their children from the future.

He walked briskly through the corridor, wanting to run but knowing he’d draw too much attention. _Where’s Ahsoka?_ he wondered, but this thought was quickly lost in a flood of emotion.

He had a child. No, two children. The brunette woman, Leia, resembled Padmé physically, but there was a much more hardened look to her. Anakin was still confused and slightly hurt by her cold acknowledgment of him, but he reminded himself that he didn’t know what she and Luke have gone through.

That teenage boy, Ben, had claimed to be Leia’s own child. So that would make him Anakin’s grandson. His heart skipped a beat as he came to this realization.

He wanted, so desperately, to head straight to Padmé’s quarters and share this wonderful news. They would have a family together. Though Anakin had next to no details about his future, he felt confident that it contained nothing short of happiness.

And he would tell her. Unfortunately, Ahsoka—his Ahsoka—needed to hear this first. Anakin tried to calm the turmoil inside of him by taking breaths as he took the lift to one of the courtyards. He knew that Ahsoka liked to relax by the romantic flowers, and she liked to watch the children learn the basics of the Force.

He emerged, smiling as the sweet odor of flowers wafted towards him, carried by the crisp wind. He saw Ahsoka immediately.

She looked just the same as when he’d last seen her, seated on a ledge by a fountain. Ahsoka was resting, talking to Barriss Offee. They were watching Master Yoda attempt to teach the younglings how to properly meditate. The toddlers were all squirming, thoroughly disinterested despite their Jedi upbringings. Anakin supposed it was only natural for children to want to run around. It was quite amusing to watch.

“Ahsoka!” Anakin called. The Togruta raised her head, and he thought of the other, older Ahsoka that waited for him back in his chambers. She was his Padawan, but he viewed her more as a spunky little sister than anything else. It was too strange for him to think of her as an adult woman.

Ahsoka looked at Anakin with dismay. “I thought today was my day off.”

“It was supposed to be,” he said wryly, nodding politely to Barriss. The young Mirialan returned the gesture in kind. “Would you mind giving Ahsoka and I some privacy, Barriss?”

Barriss dipped her head. “Of course,” she replied.

When she was gone, Ahsoka crossed her arms and glared at Anakin. “What’s this all about? I got the latest reports already, and from what I can tell we’re not needed until tomorrow for—” She cut herself off as she noticed his expression. “But this is different, isn’t it?”

He sat down next to his student and sighed. His heart was still racing from the last hour’s discoveries. “Very.”

“So what’s the mission?” Her sour expression brightened.

“I, ah, don’t know.”

Her clear blue eyes narrowed as she began to grow suspicious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Anakin looked around to make sure no one was in earshot, then he lowered his voice. “Did you feel a shift in the Force?” he inquired. “Just now?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, but I asked around and no one else seemed to feel anything at all. I thought it was just me.”

He winced, already dreading how she would react to this … unconventional task. “I went to investigate, and in my quarters I found a bunch of Force-sensitives claiming to be from the future.” He said it as directly as he could; beating around the bush wouldn’t solve anything.

“What?” Ahsoka gasped, and leaned away from him. Shock, awe, and disbelief flitted across her face in a matter of milliseconds.

Anakin raised his eyebrows, surprised when she didn’t verbally question this. Then again, the girl had seen Mortis and came back from the dead. Not much else could catch her off guard at this point. “Are they telling the truth? And who are they, exactly?”

Anakin shrugged. “As far as I can tell. All of them are Force users, I could see that much, but they seemed equally confused, and I think they’re all from different years.” He’d deduced that much from watching Leia and Ben.

“How is that even possible?” Ahsoka wondered. “Not even you could change time.”

“No. My guess is that this was a trick of the Cosmic Force itself. The question is _why_.”

“Who are they?” she asked eagerly.

Anakin hesitated, unsure of how much he should reveal. This was too much information to dump on her all at once. “I don’t really know most of them,” he said, trying to remain coy.

“ _Most_ of them?”

“That’s the thing.” He braced himself mentally. “One of them was you.”

She stared at him for several long moments, stupefied by this sudden curveball. “Me?” she asked disbelievingly. “I’m not sure I understand, Master.”

“It was you. Or, an older version of you,” Anakin explained, perhaps inadequately.

She blinked, comprehending but not truly believing. “And you believe them? You’re sure that they’re not, like, imposters or something?”

“I was able to surmise enough through my first interaction with them,” Anakin reassured her, though she still looked doubtful.

Ahsoka’s gaze hardened as her attitude switched from eagerness to duty. “Take me to them, Master,” she pleaded.

Anakin’s first reaction was to protest that this would be too messy, too dangerous for her to get involved in. But then he realized that she would inevitably find her own, more risky way into the conflict. There was no stopping his Padawan, for better or worse.

“Okay,” he conceded with a sigh, before helping Ahsoka to her feet. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell her, especially when he had so little information himself. Again, he realized that she would find out about everything, and he trusted that she wouldn’t tell the Council about his son and daughter. “Come with me, Snips.”

As they walked to the lift, he described the group to the best of his ability. She didn’t recognize the name Caleb Dume, but there were so many younglings at the temple that this barely meant anything at all. He told her of the years and eras they each seemed to be from, as well as how they all had varying degrees of training in the ways of the Jedi.

“This is so weird,” she mumbled at one point, massaging her temples with her fingers.

He said nothing, and she rightfully took this as agreement. Anakin supposed he should tell Ahsoka about Luke and Leia now, before she found out in some other, less desirable way.

Wincing, Anakin swallowed nervously, and began to talk. “So, two of these time travelers—the ones named Luke and Leia—they claim that they’re my children.”

Ahsoka recoiled and looked at him, baffled. “Wait, actually? But that’s against the—“ He cut her off with a sardonic look, and she rolled her eyes. “Typical,” she muttered. “Of course it would be you.” She crossed her arms, more amused and exasperated than disapproving. “I’m assuming you and Padmé made them together.”

“That’s supposed to be a secret!” Anakin hissed, lowering his voice instinctively, even though no one else was there.

She wrinkled her nose. “It’s more of an open secret than a _secret_ secret.”

 _Great_ , Anakin groaned internally. Before he could defend himself, the lift opened to his floor. They walked through the narrow corridor uneasy silence, unsure of who could be in earshot. Eventually they reached his quarters, and he let himself in.

The others looked exactly as he’d left them earlier, confused and arguing. The younger Ahsoka stared at her older self with wide eyes, and backed away apprehensively. She looked freaked out, and he didn’t blame her one bit. The older Ahsoka appeared to be equally mortified.

A hush fell over the room as the door slid closed behind them. The two Ahsokas continued to eye each other warily, and Luke stepped forward to greet the younger of the pair. Anakin felt a rush of warmth at the mere sight of him. “Hi,” Luke said with a friendly grin. “This must be the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen, but Anakin says that we can rely on you.”

Both Ahsokas smiled at this praise. Anakin wondered blearily how they’d address them both, without stirring confusion.

“This is so freaking weird,” the unfamiliar teenager whispered loudly to the green-haired boy, who still seemed to be completely petrified. Everyone glared at them in annoyance, despite the statement being unanimous.

“Thanks for the commentary, Ezra,” Kanan remarked, before turning to Anakin. “Obviously the Force led us to you. Would you have any idea as to why?”

Anakin shook his head apologetically. “No. What were you all doing when you came here?” Maybe that would have something to do with this.

Rey sighed, dejected. “I was on the Millenium Falcon, trying and failing to repair my lightsaber.”

Ben perked up, curious. “Why were you on my dad’s ship?”

Rey remained silent for a few heartbeats. “It’s a long story,” she replied tersely, and it was clear that she didn’t want to say anything more about it. Ben picked up on this as well, and glanced at her with suspicion.

“I was on Endor,” Leia announced. “Cleaning up from last week’s battle.”  Already she was looking at Ben with affection, and Anakin was hurt by her indifference to him.

Luke nodded and said that this was true for him as well.

“I was battling a Sith,” Ahsoka said, suddenly staring at her boots.

Anakin’s eyes widened. “A Sith Lord? Do you mean Maul, or Tyrannus?”

She shook her head. “Someone else.”

“That’s actually cool,” the other Ahsoka breathed in admiration. “So in the future I’m badass enough to take on a Sith Lord _and_ survive?” She turned to her older self. “Did you kill him?” she asked eagerly, eyes bright.

Ahsoka winced, and Anakin realized her eyes were brimmed with tears. “No.”

He and his student exchanged knowing looks, and he silently told her not to pry. She seemed to get the message and backed off, albeit with reluctance.

“Well, I grabbed Ahsoka in defiance of spacetime while she was fighting Darth Vader,” Ezra informed them. This name caused everyone in the room to stir with discomfort; Observing their reactions, Anakin took it as a good sign that he’d never heard of this particular Sith. Judging by her bewildered expression, the name was unfamiliar to young Ahsoka as well.

Ezra continued, “I was in this World Between Worlds. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.”

“Was that the void we were all pulled to before we entered the portal?” Rey asked, and Ezra nodded glumly.

“It seems too convenient to be coincidental,” Leia observed, “That a few of us are from the exact same time.”

Ben nodded vehemently. “I talked to Jacen.” He gestured to the green-haired boy. “We were both pulled from the exact same time; the same minute, I think.”

“Why is that?” Kanan murmured. “More importantly, how is that even possible?”

They stood in silence, contemplating this unanswerable question.

“I think we should keep your existence here a secret for now,” Anakin decided. “I can get you all into the spare bedrooms, but beyond that I’m not sure what else I can do to help.”

Luke stepped forward, and Anakin saw that his sky-blue eyes were filled with hope and longing. “We’re going to need you, Father. I’m sure of it.”

Leia frowned, but Anakin barely noticed, because he was so excited at the adorable, wonderful expression on Luke’s face as he looked up at him. Almost overwhelmed, Anakin was unable to surprise a giddy smile.

“Hate to break up family bonding time,” Ezra said, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently. “But maybe we should get moving, before more Jedi come over here.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Anakin said. “All of the Jedi who usually stay in this hall have been deployed. Normally I’d be, too, but I guess the Force has granted Ahsoka and I a break at the right time.”

Rey looked unsure. “Wouldn’t it be … I don’t know, invasive to stay in someone else’s quarters?”

“No, that’s actually pretty normal around here,” he told her. “Attachment to the material is detachment from the spiritual, after all.” That last part he said in jest.

“Right…” she muttered.

Ignoring her response, Anakin peeked outside to make sure that no one would see them, and then he led the time travelers to an empty bedroom. “You won’t be found here,” he told each of them. For whatever reason, he felt oddly confident about this.

 

Once they’d all been assigned rooms, he summoned the group back to his room. He switched off the hologram display on his desk. Those who’d traveled together broke off into small groups to talk individually. Anakin stood awkwardly  by himself, wanting to converse but not quite knowing how to insert himself into another conversation. Even Ahsoka was chatting eagerly with Rey. Although Anakin’s first impression of the unfamiliar young woman was that she was jaded and distrustful, she seemed perfectly relaxed in the presence of his Padawan.

Anakin felt a stab of loneliness, but then he noticed that Leia was standing by herself while her brother talked to Kanan. Anakin approached his daughter, smiling warmly, and hoping that wouldn’t be overdoing it; he wanted to make a good first impression, after all.

“Hello, Leia,” Anakin greeted her, causing the other woman to flinch. He wondered why she was so jumpy and distant. “I’m your father.”

“I know.” Was she trembling? Anakin thought so, but he attributed it to the trauma of being ripped across spacetime.

Anakin fiddled with his utility belt. “Do you even know me?”

“You and Padmé died right after we were born.” Her response was painfully blunt. “I was raised by the Organas.”

He reeled back in horror. “Oh,” he replied simply, because what else was there for him to say? He had no desire to learn the details. He remembered Mortis, how the Father erased his memory after the Son drove him to insanity through a vision of the future. Was this what he’d seen? Is this what had driven him to darkness? He prayed to the Force that this wasn’t the case.

Leia walked away from him, rubbing her arms gingerly. Anakin stared after her. _I thought she’d be happy to see me,_ he lamented. _Maybe she’ll warm up to me eventually. Maybe…_

Alone once more, he listened in on the other’s conversations. Jacen and Ben were exchanging hushed words.

“This is crazy,” Ben was saying with wide eyes.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Jacen hissed. “Least of all _him_. Not until I feel ready. I’m trusting you.”

Ben smiled kindly. “You’re my friend; I won’t tell anyone.”

Jacen sighed. “It’s nice to have a confidant.”

Anakin, though curious to see what they were talking about, decided that it wasn’t his business and moved on. He heard Ahsoka ask Rey what things are like in the future for the Jedi. Was the Clone War over? Did the Republic prevail? Anakin winced. Perhaps it was better for his young Padawan to not know these things so far in advance.

The questions made Rey visibly uncomfortable, and she struggled with what to say for several moments. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry, but the Order fell years ago. I’m the only Jedi left, and I’ve hardly got any training.”

Anakin went rigid with disbelief.

“By the Force,” Ahsoka exhaled, eyes round. “That can’t be.”

“I’m sorry, Ahsoka, but it’s the truth. The Jedi Order was reformed decades after it fell, but it fell apart,” Rey explained.

Ahsoka turned around to look at Anakin with dismay. He said nothing in response, although a part of him wondered if that was why the Force had sent these people here. To save the Jedi Order before it fell.

 _If that’s the case,_ Anakin realized. _Then the Order must be close to falling. Or at least close to the events that begin the fall._ He shivered.

“I want to go to sleep,” Ezra declared. “Maybe then I’ll wake up and this will all be over.”

_If only._

Kanan placed a gentle hand on Ezra’s shoulder. “This is a lot for all of us, but we need to stay vigilant.” The dark-haired boy nodded glumly, and began chatting with Ben. It warmed Anakin’s heart to see that his grandson was making a friend so quickly, though he seemed to be a bit starry-eyed towards an oblivious Ezra. He also noticed that Jacen still looked as if someone had eaten his meiloorun; completely lost in the madness of the situation, and too shy to say anything about it. He rubbed his elongated ear, and Anakin saw that it was tinged green, a lighter shade than his hair.

“We should meditate,” Luke suggested.

Everyone turned to look at him. Leia protested that she never did that before, while Rey said that she’d broken bedrock the last time she attempted such a feat. This made Anakin raise his eyebrows, but then he saw that she was not very well trained. Her Force aura was wild and turbulent, like the aura of a precocious youngling.

“No, he’s right,” the older Ahsoka said. “Maybe we can induce a vision that will give us some insight.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Yeah, ‘cause that’s always helpful.” The other boys murmured their agreement.

“I’ve never had much luck with that sort of thing,” Rey chimed in.

“We should.” Kanan said. “We’re in a holy place right now. If the Force wants to show us anything, we will find it here.” He straightened his posture and tore a piece of scorched fabric off his charred jacket. The poor man looked like he’d been set on fire.

Everyone lowered themselves to the floor, spreading out as comfortably as they could. “If I break the floor beneath us, I’m sorry,” Rey muttered before closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

Anakin didn’t have much patience for meditation, but it was a necessary aspect of a Jedi’s life. He sank to his knees and let go of all of the tension inside of him. As he relaxed both physically and emotionally, he felt the Force begin to flow through the room and engulf them all in its cold embrace.

The young Jedi allowed himself to get lost in this natural, gentle current, and soon he felt his surroundings get hazy, before fading away entirely.

He opened his eyes after several blissful heartbeats, and saw nothing at all.


	3. Born to Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Updates are going to be less frequent than I would like from here on out. This is because of a new medical treatment I'm receiving. It's going well, but the process is exhausting and time consuming, so I'll have less opportunities to work on this for the next month or so. As always, thank you for your criticism and feedback. I truly appreciate it. :)

**JACEN SYNDULLA:**  
  


Jacen’s eyes flickered open as bitingly cold air made his skin sting. He found himself in a cave filled with beautiful specks of light and color, kind of like the place Master Skywalker had taken them to find their kyber crystals. The memory of Ilum amazed him even over a year later. The planet had been half decimated by the Empire years ago, but Master Skywalker told them that the risk of their pilgrimage was necessary if the traditions of the Jedi were to survive.

He recalled how he’d felt the tug of not one, but two separate crystals in the cave. He could still feel their warm pulsing energy in each of his palms; one blue and one green. Master Skywalker had been surprised by this, but he’d happily provided him the extra materials necessary to make dual lightsabers.

Admittedly, Jacen wasn’t very good at interpreting his visions, or the visions of others. He knew that most of them were too vague to decipher, but he tried anyway, and almost always failed. After all, he was a Syndulla; he was much too stubborn to change his ways, despite Master Skywalker’s exasperation. Usually that was a good thing, but in this case it didn’t serve him well.

_ What am I doing here? _ he wondered, suspicious. This was why he hated visions; he’d rather just be told, straight up what needs to know, instead of through this noninformative way. Not to mention that they were often quite terrifying, and the more potent ones could affect you physically, in the real world. 

He walked, then stopped as he noticed a woman in a brown cloak. She had olive skin and thick black hair. Jacen couldn’t see her face from this angle, but just looking at her, he knew that she must be a Jedi.

“Um, hello?”

The woman turned around, and Jacen saw kindness and wisdom in her gaze—as well as confusion. “Who are you?” she asked in a guarded tone.

Jacen raised his hands. “Um, I’m Jacen Syndulla. And you are?”

“Master Depa Billaba,” she replied, tilting her head. “The Force is connecting us; there must be a reason.”

Jacen shrugged. “Beats me.”

“Look deeper, Padawan Syndulla,” Master Billaba urged, though she was obviously struggling to do the same herself . “What do your feelings tell you? Search them.”

His brows furrowed as he forced himself to concentrate. A prickling feeling made the hair on the back of his neck raise. “I think we’re supposed to meet in person. But why?”

“The Force works in mysterious ways,” Master Billaba said with a warm smile. “But it takes us down the right path. I’m in the Tower of First Knowledge. You may find me when you’re ready.” She began to fade away. “I’ll be here until sundown.” 

Before Jacen could even ask where the hell the Tower of First Knowledge was, he slammed painfully into the hard ground. Though the stone looked wet, Jacen was surprised that he didn’t feel the dampness. He blinked rapidly in an effort to regain his bearings. Then he realized that he  _ could _ feel water under his skin and even through his jacket. He could hear it, too.

And suddenly he was drowning, thrashing about with nowhere to escape. Jacen started to scream, his voice muffled by the water, then stopped once this depleted too much air. His lungs burning, he swam up, up, and up, but all of a sudden the chasm had become seemingly infinite. 

Through the black spots in his vision, Jacen saw that he was wrong, the surface  _ was _ above him after all. He could even see his friends, smiling and waving invitingly, just so thrilled for him to be home.  _ I’m coming!  _ Jacen attempted to kick with furious strength, but he had no energy left. He was so close to the surface and yet so close to a watery grave. As he slid into oblivion, Jacen reached as far as he could with his hand; he felt his fingers break through to meet the air. Then he was gone.

Except that he wasn’t. Now he was back in that Jedi’s quarters, wheezing and gasping hungrily for air with bulging eyes. The older Ahsoka broke out of her trance and grabbed him. “Shh, it’s okay!” she told him as he coughed mucus out of his lungs. “You’re back. I’ve got you.”

Jacen met her gaze, his whole body shaking. “How do I know that this isn’t a vision, too!” he cried out, scrambling away from her. He wanted to cringe at his behavior; he was legally, if not biologically an adult, and yet he was acting like a scared youngling.

Ahsoka bit her lip. “You don’t. But I’m just as real as you are.”

Jacen considered this as the others began to rouse, disturbed by the commotion he was causing. He wiped the fluid from his mouth and chin with the back of his sleeve, and broke into another fit of coughs.

“I saw nothing,” Rey remarked, rubbing her eyelids. She didn’t seem too perplexed by this, however. 

“Same,” Ezra chimed in, bewildered.

“Did anyone see anything?” Leia asked. Her voice was laced with desperation.

“I did…” Jacen mumbled, still breathing rapidly.

Anakin wrinkled his nose. “Then you must be the only one.”

“What did you see?” Ben asked him. His friend was staring at him in concern.

Jacen struggled to piece the words together. “I-I saw a woman—a Jedi master. She told me to meet her in the Tower of First Knowledge.”

“And who was it?” the younger Ahsoka inquired.

“Depa Billaba.”

Kanan stiffened at this. “She was my master.” His face hardened, as if he couldn’t bear to recall such memories. Jacen looked at him curiously. Hera was always reminiscing over Kanan, but she’d never said much about his master—just that she died in Order 66.

Jacen was still in disbelief that Kanan was here. Though they’d never met, Jacen considered him to be the most important man in his life. But of course Kanan wouldn’t know this.

“So can you talk to her?” Rey asked.

He hesitated. “It’s not that simple. I was a completely different person at this point in time. I even had a different name.”

“But she’s amazing,” Ezra pointed out. “You told me yourself. And this could mean changing her fate.”

“Maybe.” Kanan let out a heavy breath. Jacen couldn’t help but stare at his face. He saw himself; He and Kanan had the same mouth, the same base skin tone, and the same widow’s peak, just like him. Jacen had seen holo images of him, of course, but seeing his father in the flesh was something else entirely.

Leia looked at Jacen, and it was at this moment he realized that she knew who he was. Granted, this Leia was used to the six-year-old him, but a boy with green hair and elven ears was indistinguishable from the rest. Hera and Leia were friends, and they’d been joined by Shara Bey as well, before her untimely death. Their sons had all grown up with each other.

“You should be the one to talk with Master Billaba,” she told him decisively.

As much as Jacen wanted to protest this absurd suggestion, he knew that Leia had to be right. Why else would he be the one to have the vision? “Master Billaba addressed me specifically.” 

“Then it’s decided,” Luke got to his feet and stretched his back. “Jacen will talk to her.”

“But why me?” Jacen pondered. “Why not Kanan? He was her apprentice, and she would’ve died decades before I was even born anyway.”

“Then it’s all the more important that we figure this out,” Kanan told him, and Jacen stared in amazement at the calm and steady way he was carrying himself, even through this absurdity. He wished he were that strong. Kanan continued, “If she sent for you specifically, it must be for a good reason.”

Jacen couldn’t argue against that, as much as he wanted to. “Okay,” he sighed, defeated. 

They sat in silence for several awkward heartbeats.

“Erm, so when should I go?”

“Not yet,” Anakin said. “Maybe in a few hours. I think you—all of you—should wait until you’re calmer before making any rash decisions. This situation is too delicate for us to take risks.” The others nodded, considering this. 

“You could educate us on rash decisions all day, Master,” the younger Ahsoka snarked, earning herself an icy glare. And just judging from what little Jacen knew of Anakin Skywalker, this seemed to be a completely accurate statement. 

“Speak for yourself,” the older Ahsoka said wryly with her arms crossed. Her counterpart didn’t respond, though Anakin laughed a little. 

“Alright,” he sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. “I’ll wait a few hours, but she said to be there by sundown.” Anakin dipped his head in approval.

Jacen didn’t understand why some of the group seemed so wary of Anakin. This man was a war hero, nothing short of legendary. Jacen couldn’t imagine him wishing them any harm. And besides, Master Skywalker and Leia were both his children. 

Anakin frowned, pondering something. Before he could speak, his wrist com activated. “General Skywalker,” it said in a familiar, confident voice. “You’re wanted for a briefing.”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course it would be now.” He held his wrist near his chin. “Yeah, I’m on my way, Captain Rex.”

Ezra perked up. “Captain Rex? We know him. Maybe we should let him in on this, too.”

Anakin considered this. “That might not be such a bad idea. We’ll discuss it when I get back.” He opened his door, and cast a stern look at his Padawan. “You too.”

“Oh, come on!” Ahsoka protested, but she huffed and followed him out of the room anyway.

After several awkward, empty moments, Rey declared, “I’m going to my quarters,” and promptly left. Jacen reeled back as her fear swept over him. He thought he heard her hyperventilating as she walked out of the room.

Once again, they broke off into small groups to talk with those they knew. Jacen turned around to speak with Ben, only to see that he was on the opposite end of the room conversing with Leia. He slumped his shoulders, crestfallen, and headed towards the exit. Before he reached it, he felt a firm hand grab his forearm. He turned, his eyes widening as he realized that it was Ezra. 

“Uh, can I help you?”

“Can we talk?” Ezra asked.

Jacen averted his gaze. “What about?” 

Ezra pulled him to the side of the room, glancing at the others to make sure their conversation was private. “You said you’re from the same time as Ben. Which is my future.”

Jacen nodded warily, not quite sure where this was going. 

Ezra continued, “And you said that you never got to meet me. What did you mean by that?” 

Jacen opened and closed his mouth, unsure of how to respond. How much should he reveal? And what had Ezra already concluded from such limited information? “I didn’t mean much by it,” he mumbled. 

Ezra raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Do I die in the future? And how do you know me?”

Jacen sighed. “No. You were taken into the Unknown Regions years before the fall of the Empire, and you weren’t found until a few months back. My mom told me that you were on your way to Hosnian Prime a few days ago.” His chest warmed as he recalled the pure, undiluted joy he’d seen on Hera’s face during her most recent transmission.

“Why would I go to Hosnian—?” Ezra scrunched his nose and blinked at him, stunned. He’d clearly been prepared to learn about his future death, but not anything like that. “Never mind. I’m not going to ask how that happened,” he told him, “But I do want to know how you know me. And how does your mom know me?”

Jacen winced. He’d given too much away, and Ezra would know if he was being deliberately vague or evasive. _ By the Force, I’m the worst liar in the galaxy. _

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I’m not really sure.”

This didn’t satisfy Ezra in the slightest. “You seemed really spooked out by Kanan, even though he died before you could’ve been born. And you look almost identical to him, aside from your hair and ears, which are green.” He leaned in closer. “What’s your last name?”

Jacen gulped, his eyes darting nervously in spasmodic directions. He knew there was no point in hiding the truth, since Ezra had definitely figured it out. Jacen knew that he looked near identical to Kanan, but he’d hoped that he and Ezra wouldn’t figure out his connection to them right away. 

Of course, Jacen had planned on telling them the truth—all of it. That was what he wanted, and needed to do. But he lacked the confidence necessary to do what Luke and Ben had done earlier. He was a shy person by nature, and the thought of such a critical interaction potentially going awry was enough to scare him out of pursuing such a course of action, at least in the short term.

Jacen flinched as he realized that Ezra was still waiting for confirmation. There was no way he hadn’t figured out the truth by now.  _ Am I that obvious?  _ He supposed that this could be attributed to their similar facial features and skin tone, not to mention the distinctive green of his hair and the mottled patches of muted lime across his body.

Trying and failing to keep his voice steady, he replied, “My name is Jacen Syndulla.”

Ezra didn’t  _ appear _ to be shocked in the slightest, although Jacen sensed his Force aura waver. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “So you’re Kanan’s kid?”

Jacen nodded.

“That basically makes you my baby brother.” 

“Wait, what?”

Ezra smiled sadly. “I love my parents, but Kanan basically raised me after I turned fourteen. He’s, like, my space paw-paw. Don’t tell him I said that, though. And  _ damn _ , when did Kanan and Hera even have the time to … you know…?” 

“Please don’t,” Jacen muttered, embarrassed. 

“Right. Sorry.” He shook his head, unable to suppress a mischievous grin. “This is unbelievable. Does he know?”

Jacen shook his head dejectedly. 

“Alright, kid,” Ezra said, his smile fading to seriousness. “I get that you’re scared to tell him, but Kanan happens to be a pretty chill guy. And he’ll be heartbroken if he figures out that you’re withholding such crucial information.”

“ _ Kid? _ I’m older than you, Ezra.”

“You’re missing the point,” he retorted. “After your talk with Master Billaba, maybe you should talk with him. He would’ve figured it out by now if it were someone else he knew, but I think he’s too oblivious to take notice of you.” 

Jacen doubted this. But he only gave a vague agreement, and Ezra reluctantly left him alone after that. Though Anakin had told him to wait to visit Depa Billaba, there was a tug in his gut that told him to go now. The sensation was overwhelmingly urgent. 

Jacen went over to Ben and told him that he would be in his assigned room. His friend accepted the explanation without question. Once he was out of Anakin’s quarters, Jacen concentrated on the pull he felt. He had no idea where this Tower of First Knowledge was, of course, but he hoped that his instincts would lead him in the right direction. 

He walked down three separate corridors and down a flight of stairs. Jacen’s eyes widened as he emerged into a majestic part of the temple. He couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty. He took special notice of the architecture; it reflected an ancient history, one which spanned millennia. The large pillars and intricate columns which dotted this area were archaic. They held a classical sort of beauty. Ancient Je’daii texts were plastered on the wall, and sacred artifacts were on display for anyone to see and touch. 

_ Okay, concentrate _ . Jacen closed his eyes and reached out, broadening the limits of his senses. The intensity and concentration of the Force here took him by surprise, though it really shouldn’t have. He searched the hundreds of presences for a signature that matched Depa Billaba’s. After several frustrating minutes, he was able to get a vague pinpoint on her location. He couldn’t tell which room she was in specifically, but at least he knew how to get there. She was in the northwestern tower.

Jacen opened his eyes and squared his shoulders. He continued to walk forward, then froze as three Jedi emerged from another hallway. He didn’t recognize them. One was a pale green Nautolan male, one was an Itotchi male, and the third was a beautiful, blue-skinned Twi’lek. 

Jacen realized with alarm that he didn’t know the proper etiquette for interacting with Jedi masters. Was he supposed to bow respectfully? Should he even acknowledge them at all? Or was that disrespectful? Force, he was about to make a fool of himself. 

It also occurred to him that he wasn’t dressed in Jedi attire. Master Skywalker didn’t require it, and Jacen preferred to wear casual clothes under his favorite gray jacket. Hera always made sure to replicate it whenever he outgrew or damaged the outerwear. He didn’t like taking off the jacket due to his nostalgic connection with it; specifically, to the Loth-wolf patch Aunt Sabine had gifted him as a toddler. 

But did his attire even matter? He decided no, since Ahsoka had been dressed in a casual tunic and leggings, and the Twi’lek woman was clad in a black outfit not remotely reminiscent of a Jedi’s robes. Besides, he  _ did _ have the traditional Padawan braid. 

As he passed by the three Jedi, Jacen dipped his head in what he hoped was a respectful gesture. Luckily, they took little notice of him, and Jacen managed to slip by undetected.

Jacen allowed himself a single sigh of relief. He needed to hurry up, since he had no idea if or when Anakin would come back to check on them. 

He spent at least twenty minutes walking towards the other side of the vast area, even at his brisk pace. He took a lift to the roof of the temple ziggurat, and soon found himself standing at the foot of a grand bronzium statue. His gaze lifted to scan the statue’s face, but there didn’t seem to be anything suspicious about it. He realized that there was another, and that their metallic lightsabers formed an “x” over the two front doors.

Jacen entered what appeared to be a reception room, though no one was here. The walls were lined with smaller, older statues. He spotted a turbolift in the back and took it up to the maximum height. He emerged into a sleek, if small hallway. 

His gaze shifted to the silhouettes of two human females. They were murmuring in hushed voices to one another by a door, and Jacen immediately recognized one as the woman from his vision. The other, younger one was unfamiliar.

“Thank you, Khandra, that will be all,” Master Billaba was saying as he came into earshot. She looked up as Jacen approached, and her face brightened. “Ah, good.” 

Khandra eyed Jacen with suspicion, but didn’t say anything, instead ducking into the turbolift. Jacen watched her go as Depa Billaba’s stare burned into his back. 

“Padawan Syndulla,” she greeted him, as if they were old friends. 

“Master,” he replied in turn, lowering his head. 

Master Billaba crossed her arms, her amiable smile vanishing. “Something tells me that you don’t belong here.”

“H-How do you mean?”

“I felt a massive shift in the Force,” she explained. “Concentrated around your general location. To my immense surprise, Khandra did not react to this at all.” Her eyes narrowed.

Jacen swallowed nervously. The others seemed to trust Billaba, and he had no reason not to. But he recalled Anakin’s determination to keep their situation hidden from the Jedi Council. Jacen didn’t know if Master Billaba was a Council member or not, and he certainly wasn’t sure if she would report this if she did find out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.

Predictably, she wasn’t impressed by this response. “Padawan, if there’s something going on that I’m unaware of, you  _ must _ inform me or another Jedi.”

Fear grabbed him by the tongue, and he opened his mouth in an attempt to articulate his thoughts, to no avail.

He sighed, groaning internally. How was he supposed to explain this? “The Force sent me here,” he blurted, forcing the words out of his mouth. “I don’t know how or why. I’m from the future, and I was just  _ pulled _ here.”

Master Billaba recoiled, stunned. “ _ What? _ What proof do you have of this?” 

Jacen winced as he struggled to come up with a response. It wasn’t as if he could pull evidence out of thin air for his preposterous claim.

But maybe he didn’t need to. “Your Padawan is Caleb Dume,” he told her fiercely. 

Billaba’s eyes widened. “You must be mistaken. I have no Padawan, and Caleb Dume hasn’t been assigned a master yet.”

Jacen’s heart rate spiked. He cursed himself for being so foolish. Of course he would’ve arrived too early in the past for this connection to make a difference.  _ Just my luck... _

When he said nothing, she said, “I’ve spent the last six months unconscious in a bacta tank. I only woke up two days ago.” 

Jacen blinked. “Oh…” he replied uncertainly. “I didn’t know.”  _ That changes things. Maybe. Possibly. _

She peered at him. “Do you mean that Caleb Dume will become my Padawan?”

He nodded.

Billaba’s brows furrowed as her gaze became unfocused. “How is he, or your knowledge of him, proof that your claim is true?” She let out a strangled sigh. “I want to believe you, but these days, one cannot be overly cautious.”

“I understand,” he replied, lowering his gaze. “I’m a … a relative of his.” As soon as he finished talking, Jacen wanted to take back every word.  _ How the hell am I supposed to explain this? _ he groaned internally.

“That’s impossible,” she said. “Jedi are taken from their biological families before they even get to know them.”

“Yes,” Jacen conceded with a wince. “But it’s the truth.” His heart sank at her doubtful expression. This was going horribly, horribly wrong. It got worse with every word out of his mouth. He painstakingly wished for reprieve that would never come. But there was no turning back now. “You can run a DNA test on me if you need proof.”

Depa Billaba still looked disbelieving; she remained silent for several long moments. To Jacen, this unbearable pause in their conversation was stretching for eternity.

“Who else knows about this?” she inquired.

Jacen flinched at her inquiry. “Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.” His shoulders slumped. “There are more of us who have been displaced from time.”

“How many?”

He cocked his head and counted. “Eight. Two of them have doppelgängers here.”

Billaba’s eyebrows nearly disappeared behind her hairline. “Which ones?” 

“I don’t think I should say, for their sakes,” he replied evasively. “No offense.”

Master Billaba’s lips tightened. “Very well, then.” Abruptly, she whirled around so that her back was to Jacen. Her fingers were clasped. “As much as I would love to discuss this, I have places to be. Though I think it’s a bad idea, I’ll keep this between us for now. I sense that’s what you want.” He nodded eagerly. She told him, “I should be available to talk tomorrow. And I’ll start keeping an eye on that child, Caleb.”

Jacen smiled. “Thank you, Master. For not freaking out, and for being so understanding.”  _ How the heck is she barely reacting to this? _ He didn’t get it at all. But he supposed this was the result of a Jedi Master’s stoicism. 

She nodded solemnly at him as he entered the turbolift and reflected on this bizarre encounter.  _ That conversation wasn’t productive in the slightest, _ he thought.  _ Why am I supposed to bring her in on this anyway? _ This hadn’t been made clear to him at all.  _ I don’t see why or how she’s connected to all of this bantha shit. But I guess the Force works in mysterious ways… _

Jacen exhaled and pounded his fist on the turbolift wall in frustration. He missed his friends. He longed to see his family. He was out of place and out of time, and the destruction of the Clone Wars would affect the time travelers sooner or later. That felt inevitable. 

Selfishly, he wished that it could’ve been someone else who was sent in his place. His face burned with shame as he processed the thought, and the turbolift shuddered to a halt.

And what was it that they were meant to do? Jacen believed that the Force always acted with intent and deliberation. They were here for a reason, he was sure of it. Even if this was merely the result of the time stream being kriffed up, the Force would likely be capable of fixing it. So what changes were they meant to bring? And why was it them, specifically?

The most obvious conclusion was that they were meant to stop the fall of the Jedi Order, and the subsequent rise of the Empire. But Jacen’s instincts told him that there was more to the mission. The specifics evaded him, and he prayed that they would be revealed before it was too late. 

_ Who am I kidding? It probably already is too late. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Je'daii Order is no longer canon, but I just thought it would be a fun Easter egg. And thank you for reading, lol.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey tries to become proactive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news! My exhausting medical regimen thingy has concluded to a point where I don't feel like complete crap 24/7. The bad news is that I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed this weekend. However, that does mean I'll have plenty of time to spare while recovering in the days following the surgery.  
> Anyways, here is the long overdue fourth chapter. Constructive feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

**REY:**

 

Alone in her quarters, Rey began to weep.

The tears were slow and silent, trickling down her cheeks like sleepy rivulets. Her breaths tightened as fear crushed her heart in an iron grasp.

She was in the past. During the kriffing Clone Wars, no less.

More than anything, she wanted to wake up on the Millennium Falcon, and be told that this was all just some terrible nightmare. She longed for Finn’s steadiness, Leia’s wisdom, and Han’s warm gruffness. Hell, she even missed Poe, despite having only just met him.

And now she was stranded in a time that wasn’t her own. The Jedi Order was hanging on by a thread. Luke was a completely different person. Leia, on the other hand, only appeared to be physically changed. Rey frowned as she pondered this. Maybe now would be the time to connect with Luke Skywalker, before he was lost to despair. Speaking of which…

Kylo Ren was here.

Or Ben Solo, if you preferred.

He seemed like a perfectly nice young man at first glance. Rey knew, intellectually, that she shouldn’t judge him for the atrocities he had yet to commit. But her instincts screamed at her that this boy was dangerous. That he needed to be put down before he hurt anyone in this timeline.

 _This is why I abandoned Skywalker in the first place_ , she thought, horrified at herself for even having these thoughts at all. Paranoia gnawed at the pit of her stomach; this was alarmingly unlike her. _I’m the biggest hypocrite in the galaxy for even considering this! For Force’s sake, he’s a child._ Still, the notion would not leave her mind.

She tried to cut herself some semblance of slack. Kylo Ren had tortured, manipulated, and used her, and killed his own father before her very eyes. She had every right to feel the way she did.

Didn’t she?

No. Anyone was capable of anything with the right push, and this was the turning point. Confronting him over something he had yet to do would only make the situation that much worse.

And there was Ben’s friend, Jacen. He had to be one of Luke’s old pupils. Which meant that he could be a Knight of Ren. She had no way of knowing for sure, but that fact only made her all the more anxious.

 _So I’ll avoid them for now_ , Rey decided. _Until I know more_. She wiped away her tears and studied herself in the mirror. Her hair, hanging loosely around her shoulders, was a tangled mess. This didn’t bother her—she was a scavenger, after all—but she was on Coruscant now. She had to look at least minimally civilized.

Rey realized that she should probably wash and change into fresh clothes. The thought excited her. She’d never had an actual shower before, just rare baths in the slimy waters of Niima Outpost. But there was a refresher in here that she could use to do so.

And she did. As Rey stood, eyes shut and smiling, the steaming water washed over her. It felt completely and utterly blissful, and she wanted more than anything to stay in there forever. Of course, that wasn’t an option.

There was a small jar of hair gel, so she lathered that through the thick knots of tangles. Whatever was in the gel somehow managed to detangle her messy locks, leaving them with a shine that Rey had never before possessed. She touched a strand and marveled at its smoothness. Her skin was still a tad grimy, however, since there was no body soap to be found.

Once she was air-dried, Rey looked in the closet for something to wear. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much. There were sets of floor-length Jedi robes, none of which appealed to her tastes. Besides, that kind of length would simply be a hindrance in combat. There were also more casual, yet action-friendly pieces of civilian clothing. _This I can work with_. She dug deeper and found a small, sleeveless black tunic with a thick gray stripe down the middle. The turtleneck of it was lined with crimson, and she saw a matching pair of fingerless gloves attached to the garment, just long enough to reach her elbows. There was a pair of black tights to go along with it.

Rey studied the outfit before changing into it. The tunic fit for the most part, although the tights were strained; clearly, the owner of these clothes was much shorter than her. Rey looked for shoes and didn’t see any, so she shrugged and pulled on her worn brown boots.

She felt a pang of guilt, that the last visitor had left their clothes here, and she was just taking them. But she supposed it didn’t really matter in the long run. Clothing couldn’t be too difficult for the Jedi to come by.

Rey was surprised to find herself grinning in the mirror. She wasn’t much into fashion and looks in general; a scavenger had far more eminent priorities. But she couldn’t deny the excitement of trying something so _normal_ for the first time in her life.

“Enough of that,” she told herself sternly. “I’ve got far more pressing issues to deal with.”

And she certainly did. Though Rey’s earlier meditation had been unsuccessful, there was no harm in trying again. She sat cross-legged on the empty mattress of the bed and closed her eyes. Luke’s voice echoed in her head. _Reach out_ , he’d said. And so she did.

She forced aside her many bothers and worries and tried to clear her head. Though it took some time, Rey was pleased to realize that it actually seemed to be working this time around.

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Rey filled her lungs with oxygen, to the point they felt as if they might burst. The sensation helped to empty her head, while somehow simultaneously sharpening her focus. She allowed her consciousness to wander, as it had that day on Ahch-To.

She bit back a gasp as the sheer presence and concentration of the Force overwhelmed her. The light was blinding and comforting at the same time. The Jedi Temple was a beacon in the netherworld; a source of comfort and heat. The soft light felt almost tangible, brushing against her face, arms, and fingers with warmness. But Rey quickly realized that the seemingly benevolent energy felt unstable as if it were about to combust.

_One cannot exist without the other._

Already, her neck and back were beginning to sweat, and she felt blood rush to her face. The light was blinding and burning. She needed to retreat somewhere dark, somewhere shadowed from the intensity of the light. She couldn’t see her hands through the whiteout, but they felt blistered and raw. The urge was so potent that Rey nearly allowed it to consume her.

The skin of her face stung. _Don’t give in. This is the doing of the dark side. You need to give into the light_. The very effort was killing her.

When Rey was in so much agony that she began to scream through gritted teeth, she braced herself and allowed the darkness to flow through her. She sighed, her eyes closing at the surprisingly cool and pleasant sensation.

It only lasted for a few moments, however. Soon she was aware of gooseflesh rising on her arms as her limbs began to rattle. Rey shivered violently and summoned the warmth of the light once more. This time, she imagined a filter of some sort; a protective, selectively permeable barrier. Her brows furrowed in concentration, Rey strained to control the amount of light she let in.

Enough to keep her temperate, and no more.

To keep her _balanced_.

Beneath closed eyelids, Rey was able to see with a new clarity now.

The Force was most definitely out of balance, and not because of the Sith insurgency.

The Force followed a cyclic pattern, she realized. The light side may be dominant now, but it would soon fall and be overthrown by the dark. Then the light would take over once more, and so on. This pattern, she saw now, repeated itself hundreds of times throughout the history of the galaxy. It was a continuous dance between shadow and luminance, in an attempt to achieve equilibrium throughout the Cosmic Force.

Such was the way of things.

Rey shuddered, suddenly feeling small. Pushing aside her fear and discomfort, she forced herself to search the Jedi Temple. She allowed her mind to wander.

She saw the younger Ahsoka first. The teenage Togruta was saying something to a group of soldiers—clones, Rey realized with a shock—and was gesturing at a holographic map display. Ahsoka’s expression was quite prideful, and every so often she’d glance hopefully in Anakin’s direction.

Though Rey could see, she was unable to hear. So she moved on and found herself looking at a group of younglings meditating with Master Yoda. Then she saw a Mirialan practicing Shatterpoint under the supervision of a dark-skinned male. And after that, she saw three Padawan learners sparring without their weapons, hand to hand.

Rey smiled. Everything was so peaceful right now. If only it would stay that way.

Her eyes fluttered open as her trance abruptly broke. Rey hunched over, on her knees with her palms pressed supportively against the floor. The side of her hip felt oddly tender, and she realized that she’d fallen off the bed. She took a shaky breath and climbed back onto the mattress, and contemplated what she’d seen. It didn’t seem like any of it would be helpful, but she knew better than to immediately dismiss her vision as irrelevant.

 _It wasn’t even a vision_ , Rey thought bleakly. _I was just sensing stuff that was going on in real life, at this moment. That doesn’t mean much_. Still, she tried to memorize the details in case they turned out to be important.

Rey hugged her knees and closed her eyes, now trying to calm herself down. She’d taken this position often as a child on Jakku. It was how she comforted herself, because there was no one comfort her. It never worked then, and it was not working now either.

She untangled her limbs and stared blankly at the ceiling. It was unnecessary and repetitive to dwell on her misfortune, but this realization didn’t stop her thoughts from drifting in that direction.

“Focus on your self-pitying later, Rey,” she muttered. She brushed away a stray tear with the pillowcase and contemplated her options. It would be wisest to speak with the others. There had to be a reason the Force was linking them, and maybe finding personal similarities would be the best place to start. But anxiety gnawed at her stomach, and the thought of even beginning to confront the situation mortified her, necessary though it was. Rey considered herself to be a courageous person, but this was a whole new level of terrifying. It was almost beyond her comprehension. She’d never realized that the Force had a direct connection to the fabric of spacetime itself.

She swallowed. There was nothing she could do to abate her fear, so she might as well do the smart thing and address the situation. It was perplexing to Rey that the others had immediately split up, instead of talking about what had happened. But at the same time, she understood completely; she been the first one to walk away, after all.

 _I have to think_. She needed to recollect everything she knew about these individuals.

There was Luke Skywalker, who she barely recognized. The man she’d met was a bitter cynic, but the Luke with her now seemed to be anything but that. Instead, he resembled the character in the stories, carried only by whispers over the sands of Jakku.

His sister, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be that different in regards to her personality. Rey smiled to herself. General Organa was probably the most benevolent figure in the Resistance, and here she was, in her prime!

Rey instinctively shied away from the thought of Kylo Ren, though she knew that he had yet to commit all of the atrocities that would one day define his blood-stained legacy. She focused on the others’ names, but none seemed to ring a bell in her mind.

She knew about Anakin, of course. Everyone did, in her timeline. He scared her almost as much, if not more than Ben. The fact that she only knew the outcome and not his story itself made it even worse. How close was he to falling right now? Was he on the brink? She shuddered.

Rey cursed her solitary upbringing on Jakku. From what she gathered during her time with the Resistance, all of these stories were common knowledge. She had only bits and pieces of the truth. It was essential that she pieced the story together.

It was like being a scavenger all over again.

She got to her feet, kicking to scatter the grains of sand trapped beneath the fabric of her pants and her skin. Then she remembered that there was no need for that here. As much as she loathed the deserts of Jakku, it felt strange to not have any sand in her hair, in her clothes, under her fingernails, and on her skin.

It was liberating, but strangely alien at the same time.

Rey sighed. She wasn’t even making sense to herself anymore.

She supposed that it was only logical for her to head back. She didn’t really know anyone here. Well, she thought that she had figured out Leia by now. But Luke and Ben were like completely different people from the ones she’d known.

That was for the better.

 _I need to figure everyone out_ , she realized furtively. For all Rey knew, these new people could have ulterior motives. Not just the obvious red flags, like Anakin or Ben, but the entire group. Until she was positive she knew what was going on, she had to proceed with caution.

She opened the door and leaned into the hallway, eyes darting in search of any unfamiliar Jedi. When she was confident that there were none, she stepped lightly towards where the others had been.

Inside she found Leia and Luke, who looked to be in the middle of an argument.

“...we can’t trust him!” Leia was whispering as Rey ducked into the modest chamber.

Luke replied in an equally urgent, yet diminished voice. “It’s not that simple, Leia. He’s a good man, and I know for certain that with the right guidance he’ll stay on the right track.”

Neither of them took notice of the young Resistance hero. Rey leaned against the wall as Leia stared at her brother in disbelief. Her skin had an odd sheen; it was unusually pale, yet somehow flushed at the same time. “I’m sorry, Luke, but you know full well what he’s done to both of us.” As she observed the fluctuating Force patterns within the room, Rey realized with a start that they were sharing their thoughts mentally as well as verbally. She wasn’t able to decipher any of their mental exchanges, but they were potent enough for her to take notice of their presence.

“These actions have not yet been committed,” Luke retorted. “And I was able to bring him back to the light side years after they had been. If I could do it then, I can definitely do it now. But I’ll need your support.”

Leia gave him a hard look. “I don’t know if I can do that,” she stated in a flat voice. His face fell, and she touched his forearm gently. “I’m sorry. I _can’t_ do that.”

She turned around and faced the wall, her fights tightened at her sides. Luke stared after her sadly, but he didn’t argue any further; it was clear to Rey that he couldn’t fully disagree with her argument. Though the details were scarce to her, the stories she’d heard growing up were more than enough to prove that Leia had good reason to reject Luke’s optimism. Rey shivered as she wondered how Leia would react if she found out about Ben’s fate.

It would be best if she never found out.

Rey looked around the room. Everyone else had left, though where to specifically she couldn’t be sure. “Sorry to burst in like this, but I need to talk to both of you.”

Luke tilted his head.”It’s Rey, right?” She nodded. He glanced at Leia, and Rey was surprised to see a glint of amusement in his gaze. “Alright, which one of us is your parent?”

Rey blanched. “What? No, that’s not what I---” She forced herself to take a calming breath, before continuing more slowly, “It’s nothing like that. I knew you guys, in the future. Not well, but the interactions we did have were … significant.”

“And?”

She stared at her worn brown boots. “If the battle of Endor has recently happened for you, that would make my life thirty years into the future, from your perspective. Well, if you want I can update you on what happened since then.” She’d leave out the worst of it, of course, but Luke deserved to know that his battles were not in vain.

Leia, now back in the conversation, looked immediately ready to agree to this. Luke, however, looked significantly more doubtful. “I’m not sure this is wise,” he cautioned. “The future is always in motion. Since our mere presence here contradicts the reality we all know, I think your future knowledge won’t help us that much.” 

Rey nodded. “I understand, Master Skywalker.”

“It’s just Luke.” He shot a surprised look at her. “However, the knowledge of what will happen a year or two from now is invaluable.”

Her eyes rounded as she took a step back. An idea dawned on her. “Maybe that’s why we were sent here,” she speculated. “Maybe we’re meant to stop Palpatine’s rise to power.”

Leia looked troubled. “Maybe. But he’s already powerful enough at the moment. He’s the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and that’s not even considering his Sith abilities.” She glanced at Luke, though it was evident that she was worried about a great many things. “Luke, you said yourself that the Emperor is the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. No one here stands a chance against him, not even you.”

Luke crossed his arms. “I said that because every Jedi I knew of was either dead or MIA by the Battle of Endor, I had minimal training, and Father was still loyal to the Emperor.” His face brightened. “The reason the Jedi were killed so easily was that Order 66 seemingly came out of nowhere. They were caught off guard in the midst of battle. And right now, there are ten thousand Jedi and two Sith.”

“What are you proposing?” Leia inquired.

Luke replied, “We already know that Order 66 has been engineered into the clones somehow, and there’s probably nothing we can do about that. So preventing clone obedience is not an option. What we can do is warn the Jedi before it happens—if it happens at all, that is.”

Rey liked this idea, but it was much easier said than done. “What about the Emperor?” His presence would complicate this. If Palpatine discovered that there was a band of time-travelers in his galaxy … well, she wasn’t sure _what_ he’d do. Her guess was that he’d try to corrupt Luke and kill the others after deeming them either disposable or compromising.

A creeping chill climbed up her spine.

“I’m not sure,” he told her gravely. “But as far as he knows, no one’s aware of his master plan. If we don’t let him know that we know, then maybe we can take him by surprise as well.”

“And what if he has a vision?” Leia demanded. “Or a sudden spark of clairvoyance? We can’t confront him directly; he’ll see it coming.”

Rey, though reluctant to admit it, had to agree with this. To her, the Emperor was the stuff of legends. On Jakku, people spoke of him like he was some heinous god. Facing him was, without a doubt, a last resort in her mind. But she realized with horror that maybe it was unavoidable.

“What if we tell Obi-Wan?” Leia asked. “We can’t trust Anakin, and Ahsoka is little more than a child.”

An idea occurred to Rey. “Leia, in the future you told me that the Rebellion was led mostly by politicians who opposed Palpatine’s rule once the first warning signs began to emerge. Maybe we can talk to some of them?”

Leia sucked in her breath, and her gaze slid out of focus. With watery eyes, she leaned against the nearest wall and sank to the floor. Rey wondered how that suggestion could possibly rattle her so much.

Luke sat next to her, leaving Rey as the only one still standing. He shot an alarmed and questioning look at her.

Leia exhaled shakily, her face flushed with embarrassment at her sudden outburst. Honestly, Rey couldn’t blame her for being so quick to emotion, given the volatility of the situation.

“Bail Organa,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

This didn’t mean anything to Rey, but apparently Luke recognized this name. His lips parted.

“Bail Organa was—is my father. He started a Rebel cell after realizing the extent of Palpatine’s cruelty.”

Rey tilted her head. “But isn’t Anakin—?”

“I don’t give two bantha shits about Anakin.”

Luke winced as if this statement was directed at him. Rey, through her embarrassment at being so insensitive, wondered why he was taking it so personally. Sure, he had been the one to “redeem” him, but it wasn’t like Leia was angry at his efforts to do so. Not by themselves, at least.

“If Senator Organa is indeed alive...” Leia cut herself off as she broke into a tearful smile. “I haven’t seen him since I was nineteen. And my mother…”

Luke beamed. “This is good. And I’ve missed Obi-Wan myself.”

As the twins both became lost in their memories, Rey tried once more to assess the situation. Aside from Leia, she was without a doubt the least experienced member of the group in regards to the Force and the ways of the Jedi. Sure, she was able to hone her abilities before she even knew about them, but that was an act of instinct, not a deliberate attempt.

 _Maybe someone here could train me_. It didn’t have to be Luke. Though Rey liked this younger, more idealistic Luke Skywalker, she still could not quite overlook their rather sour interactions. Not that it mattered anymore. Now she was surrounded by multiple Jedi from different times.

 _If, no, when Palpatine discovers us, I need to be ready_. Snoke had tossed her around like a ragdoll, and he hadn’t even been trying. Rey remembered his terrifying aura of darkness and negative passion. She imagined that the Emperor would feel the same way.  It felt even worse than the maelstrom of abhorrence and sorrow that was Kylo Ren.

 _I will be ready_ , she decided. _For all of our sakes, I have to be._

 


End file.
